Vehicle wheel with concentric rim



Feb. 5, 1929. 1,701,469

F. w. BAKER VEHICLE WHEEL WITH CONCENTRIC RI! Filed Sept. 23, 1925 f 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 v Elnomtoz 7 Frederick VVIY/I'am Baker. 3513 5110mm wyw Feb.- 5, 1929.

VEHICLE WHEEL WITH CONCENTRIC Filed Sept. 23, 3925 RIM 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 I 'a/ v I 1 i 33 'J 12- 32 /I//|" -i I I --\II\\\ i l' l I 3e I t 34 23\ 2e 23 35 U u 36 g i E" Q 1 I 26 I I 2'7 27 I 11 awve boz 1 a HI Frederick wl'l/lbm Baker.

F. W. BAKER VEHICLE WHEEL WITH CONCENTRIC RIM Feb. 5, 1929.

Filed Sept. 23, 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet n l /A////////// n IIIIIIIIIIIIIII a Fen. 5, 1929. 7 1,701,469

F. w. BAKER VEHICLE WHEEL "WITH CONCENTRIG RIM Filed Sept. 23, 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 llllllll 'IIIIIIIIIII I l/IIl/III/IA'l/I/III/ll/ a/11111111111) I. (till/Ill IIIIIIIIIIIII /IIIIIIIIIIII4 1111111 '1! A 'IIIIVIIIIIII IIIII avwwboz Frederick Wi/l/am Baker.

I VVIIII.

Patented Feb. 5, 1929.

UNITE-D, STAT-ES FREDERICK WILLIAM'BAKER, or s'roUnBnmGE, ENGLAND.

vEmcLE WHEEL WITH ooNcEN'rnIc RIM.

Application axed September 2%, i925. semi-no. saaa'v.

My invention relates to that type of velllClG wheel which comprises a.plurality, usually two, of rims secured together at convenient intervals by distance pieces, the inner rim being connected with the hub member and the outerrim carrying the tire. Such types of wheels have usually. been constructed with metallic blocks, springs, bolts or distance pieces of some kind. spaced apartand connecting the inner and outer rims, but these connections have been unsatisfactory because sooner or later they have givn way under the peculiar forces applied or fail from fatigue, crystallization or other causes due to strains necessarily imparted by the functioning of the wheel under load'and speed stresses. One object of my inventionis to obviate these difficulties by substituting forsuch connecting elements between the rims, members of yielding or resilient material which will form a strong and serviceable connection, but which are capable ofyielding radially. tangentially, laterally and in the direction of driving effort ,imparted to the wheel. By this arrangement the above menv tioned and other destructive tendencies are obviated, and the wheel thus constructed assists in the 'shoekabsorbing functions of the wheel and tire, I v I One method of attainingmy object is' touse a fabric block which is secured to the-inner andouter or intermediate rims independently, that is to say, the inner rim fastenings do not go'through tothe outer rim and they secure theblock independently. Similarly, the fastenings to the outer rim are also independent and are staggered or spaced away from the fastenings to theinner rim, with the re- 1212 of Figure 10.

sult that the drive or pull is effected through the block itself, and as will be obvious, will result in a flexible drive or pull to the respective rims. g g

It is lmportant to have the resllient members fastened rigidly to both rims, but byindependent fastenings, to the end that the resilient driving strain may be preservedand yet strength of connection maintained so that the resilient spacing members will not be stripped from the rim.

Other means for carrying this general idea into eflect will appear from the description which follows, and in everyinstance I dis pose the connecting elements between the rims so that these resilient elements will in themselves take up, as far-aspos'sible, the

15-15 of Figure 14.

substantial strainfrom the bolts, rivets or f'astenings which are used to hold the'parts inpl-ace while at the same time preserving a strong connection between the rims.

"Reference is to be hadto the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar reference characters I indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

--Figure 1 is a diagrammatic elevationof a two rimmed wheel showingrangement'of parts. p

Figure 2 is an enlarged detail section through the wheel 'rim'in the plane of the wheel on the line 22' of Figure '3.

the general ar- Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional plan on the line 33 of Figure 2.

- Figure 4 is a fragmentary 'sectional plan.

showing a modified arrangement of the connecting and bearing element between the rims.

' Figure 5'isa section on the line 55of Figure 4. p V

Figure 6 is a cross section through tworims of" the wheel on'the line 6-6 of Figure. 5.

Figure 7 i is a sectional plan showing astruca turesom'ewhat modified from that illustrat- 'ed in Figure'fl', inwhich'the bearing and con- I Figure 10 1s a sectional plan of-another modification of a fixed bearing and connect ing element between the two rims.

Figure 11 is a section on the line 1111 of F igure 10.

Figure 12 1s a cross section on the line "Figure"13 is a sectional plan on the line 1313 of Figure 14, showing a'modification of the structure illustrated in Figure 10' and adapted for "a d'emountable connection between thetworims.

Figure14us a section'on the 'line 1414 of Figure 13. i i

-Figure 15 i's-a cross sectionon theline Figure 16 is'a fragmentarysectionalzplan illustrating another modification in which the outer-rim is a split'rim.

' Figure 17 is'a section through both rims onthe line 1717 of Figure 16," and Figure 18 is a cross section on the line 1818 of Figure17'.

Thebearing and connecting "elements be any usual or preferred general conformation,

and are illustrated in a conventional way with the outer rim having its side i'la arranged to engage the conventional the 9.

Instead of having the bearing elements 13 rigid as heretofore, and metallic, I use a nonmetallic and yielding element which as in Figures 2 and 3 may he a block 15 of resilient material, either solid or laminated, and as shown this block is seated in a socket 1-1 formed by bending the flanges of the inner rim 11 as shown clearly in l igure 3, and the member 15 is shaped to lit nicely in this socket, so that'the end portions of the sides of the block will abut with the corresponding parts of the seat or socket as shown at 16 in Figure 3, and thus the strain imparted in driving the wheel *ill be taken up at these points without bringing much strain on the bolts or other fastenin 's which hold the block- 15 in place. This resilient member 15 is fastened to both the inner and outer rims 11 and 12, and it can be done for example by bolts 17, 18 and 18, anchored in the block or passing through it and secured in the outer rim 12, the inner portions of" the block being chambered as at 20 to receive the bolt nuts. Other fastenings 17, 19 and 19 extend similarly through the block and connect with. the rim 11. the nuts of the fastening members being held in chambers 21 see Figure If desired the outer surface of the member 15 can be covered by a plate or cap 22, but this is n'ot'esscntial.

t will be noticed that in the structure here in described a strong yet yielding connection made between the inner and outer rims, and this connecting member is adapted to yield slightly under either radial, tangential, lateral or other strain. partimllarly the st imparted in the driving etl'ort of the wheel. so that if the elements are disposed as in Fig ure 1, both rims turn as a unit, but the difficulties arising eliminated.

In Figures 1-to i l have illustrated a modification in which the rims are demountable from rigid connections are with respect to each other, and the connecting As here shown the seat or'socket 1 1 is as already described, but non-resilient members 23 are secured in the seat and fitted to its walls by screw bolts 24:01 the like, and the two member. have each oppositely inclined walls, those of each member terminating in the apex 25, so that the space between the opposed members is narrowest at the center as shown in Figure 4.

' The inner wall 01 the inner rim 11 can be shaped to form a seat for the nuts of the fastening bolts 241. as shown at 26 in Figure 6, and the members 23 have their inner wallsinclined as stated, and these walls are also inclined to form a dovetail slot between them, and the walls of opposed members diverge inwardly as shown at 27 in Figure 6. T he object of this is to make a securerv connection with the members 28, which are spaced as in Figure 1, and fit between the opposite diverging parts of the side members 23. The memheld in place by screws or rivets 30 and 31, or;

the like, these serving to fasten the resilient material to both the non-resilient members 23 and 28 so as to prevent its displacement.- As

a convenient means oi connecting the mem bers 28 to the outer mm 12, each member 28 i can have one end portion formed into anzeye or sleeve 32 through wlnch a bolt or pintle 33 is run, and these bolts or similar fastenings 1 project through corresponding depressions 3 1 of the flanges oi": the inner rim 11, and the bolts 33 also engage the ears or lugs 35 and 36 which serve to connect the bolts with the flanges of the outer rim. 12.

7 In order that the structure may be demountable and permit. of the ready separation of the rims, the ears 35 are sh ap-ed to lit over the flanges of the outer rim 12 to which b they are unattached, and to receive the bolts 33 which pass through. them, wl on the other hand the cars or lugs 36 ca be brazed or otherwise fastened to the flanges oi the rim-12. Thus it will be seen'that by removing the nuts from the bolts 33, the lugs or ears 35 can be removed. and the rinr12 then pulled oil laterally, the bolts 33 slipping from their connections. i

it t in Figures l to b ebove described, has the same tuimtion as tluit previouslydei-zcribed, except that it i direction; b t m the principal direction-0t strain, that is against the effort to drive the wheel and in lateral strain, the shocl; is absorbed in part by the yielding l'iushings 29, and if these are ofsuliicient height, they will also serve to absorb in part the radialstrain of the connection. v I I In Figures '5' to 91 have shown aslight not so resilientii'i a radial I modification of the structure shown in Figures 4 to 6, which is simpler, but which is not demou-ntable. In this instance the members 23 are disposed as already described, fastened in a similar way, but the members 28 similar to the members 28 just described, are rigidly secured to th-eouter rim 12 by bolts 37 or equivalent fa'stenings, and themembers are chambered as shown at 38to receive the nuts. Thus as in the previous structures described,

' one part of the connecting and hearing element between the rims is connected to one rim, another to the second rim, and the strains are transmitted and absorbed in part through the two parts of the connecting element. I

In Figures 10 to 12 is shown another modification of the structure in which. the same general idea is carried out in a slightly different way. Asv here shown'a non-resilient member 39 is seated in the socket 14 as already described, and is-fastened to one rim, the inner rimas shown, by screw bolts or the like. This member or block 39 has in the middle and extending through it, anirregular opening 41 which preferably is shaped as shown, generally like a Geneva gear, and into this fits a block 42 secured to the outer rim as described below. A plate 43 can be secured to'the inner side of the block (see Figure 11) so as to overlap the side walls of the opening 41 toprevent the removal of the part 42, and a resilient bushing or gasket 44 is placed between the members 39 and 42 so as to provide the necessary yielding element in the connection. The block l2 might be connected to the outer rim in any convenient way, but I have shown it as provided with a lateral flange 45 which may or may not be integral with the block and which has outturned sideflanges 46 preferably formed into ears, which are secured by fastenings 47 to the outer rim 12. Thus the connection between the two rims is st-rong but yielding, as

already described. 7 p

In Figures 13 to 15 I haveshown a structure like that :ust described except that it is demountable. To this end the flange 45 instead of being outturned at the outer side as shown, is inturned to form the side flanges'48, which thus straddle the inner rim 11 (see Figure 15) andears 49 and 50. like the parts and 36 previously referred to, form the on, and thus J outer run 12,

connection between the block 42 and the outer rim. For instance, the lugs or ears 49 are fixed to the outer rim 12, while the correspondin parts 50 are loose thereon, but con- 101111110 the contour of the rim flanges. The

opposed lugs 49 and '50 are secured by through bolts 51- havingsuitable nuts therethe block 42 isanchored to the but by removing the nuts of the OE, the looseears or as already described, from the wheel, the

bolts 51, and slipping lugs 50, the rim 12 can be pulled ofl" sidewise thereby "bolts 51 in such case slipping from their conto the structure ust described, or to a similar connection, but in which the outer rim 12 is'shown as a split rim. In this case it is split transversely as at 52, and as a convenient connection between the two end portions of the rim 12, one end of the rim can be formed into a hingeeye 53 which enters between corresponding eyes 54 on the opposite end of the rim, whilea 'pintle or bolt 55 isextended through both sets of eyes to form a connection. This structure can be used to advantage in that form of connection illustrated in v Figures 13 to 15. a 1 I The foregoing examples should make it clear that there are a great many ways of'introducing a resilient bearing and connecting element between the inner and outer rims in a mannertoact as a cushion and also a'reliable tecting the invention, and it will also be evident that more concentric rims mightbe sim ilarly added if desired without affecting the invention.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that my invention is quite difi'erent'from what is known in the art as resilient wheels, as these latter are all subject to deformation because the resilient parts of the wheel are bodily with relation to the center of the wheel.

and resilient drivetransmitter without at I [subj' ect to considerable expansion and .contraction, and the outerrim or telly is movable This is such bad practice that such wheels are never commercially used. My invention,

on the other hand, it will-be seen limits the driving effort to such an extent that there is no appreciable deformation of the resilient connecting. members between the rims, or of the wheel as a whole, the resilient members being unrestricted radially in their movements because this movement it the right material 1s used,-1s verylnn1ted,'and In the other directions the resilient members are restrictedto such an extent by their seats and fasotenings that they have no appreciable move-v ment, but simply serve to take up andabsorb the shock and prevent the-clash of metal to metal parts. Furthermore, in the preferred arrangement of the invention it will be seen 7 that the members between the rims are spaced so as to permit a certain springiness of the rims, and particularly the outer rims, thus providing for the absorption of shock between adjacent bearing members between the rilns'and in the rims themselves.

Additionally, by reason of the clustering of thegmeans' for retaining the members between at the points of location of the rim parts only willirestrict the inherent these members, it

yieldability or resiliency of said members and Y limit ov'ements o tthe rim parts of the wheel and confine the functioning of said 7 members for the purposes hercinbe'l'ore stated.

I claim:

1. In a Wheel of the kind described, spaced concentrically arranged rim parts, yieldable bearings at intervals'betwcen the rim parts, and radial projections on each rim part for engaging said bearings through a radial distance substantially equal to the distance between the rim parts to permit slight movements of the rim parts relative to each other.

2. In a Wheel oi the kind described, spaced concentrically arranged rim parts, yieldable bearings at intervals between the rim parts, and radial projectionson each rim partand independent 01" the other part and engaged only with the hearings to permit slight movements ot the rim parts relative to each other, said projections being substantially equal to the distance between the rim parts.

3. In. a wheel of the kindi. cribed, an inner rim, an outer rim, resilient members lo cated at intervals circum'terentially betiv en.

the rims, and ClllSilGl'L itasteners reac I]; With the members thrwgn a radial distance substantially equal to the distance between the rim parts and oppositely connecting the same With the rims. I

4. In a Wheel of the character described, an outer rim, an inner rim, non-n'ietallic members spaced apart between the rims, radial projcctions anchoring said members to the outer rim, and means anchoring said members to the inner rim and coacting with the projections through a radial distance substantially equal to the distance between the rim parts to restrict movements of the rims relative to each other.

5. In a Wheel of the character described, an

outer rim, an inner rim, non-metallic mem;

bers spaced apart between the rims, radial projections anchoring said members to the outer rim, and means anchoring said members to the inner rim and coactingwith the proj ections through a radial distance substantially equal to the distance between the rim parts to restrict meven'ients oi' the rims relative to each other, said projections and meansbeing clustered with respect to said members. 7

'6. In a Wheel of the character described, an inner rim to Which a driving eilort may be applied, an outer rim driven from the inner rim, a plurality of yielda le means interposed at intervals ci rcumi erentially between said rims and adapted totransmit said driving effort, and radial. projections carried on the'rcspective rims and devoid of positive connection oi? the same together and anchored in the first named means, said projections engaging said yieldable means through a radial distance substantially equal to the distance between the vrim parts for coaction With the .i'irst named means to restrict the movements of the rims relative to each. other. p y

In testimony whereof, I havesigncd my name to this specification this 17th day of September, 1925.

FEE EPIQK /ILLIAhLi BAKER. 

